WORKPLACE ETHICS AND ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG HEADS OF DEPARTMENT IN FACULTIES OF EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITIES IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examined Workplace Ethics and Engagement Practices among Heads of Department in Faculties of Education in Universities in Rivers State, using an analytic descriptive survey design. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised all HoDs in Faculties of Education across three selected Rivers State universities, and a census approach was adopted due to the manageable size of respondents. A researcher-developed instrument titled Workplace Ethics and Administrator Engagement Questionnaire (WEAEQ), structured on a four-point Likert scale, was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation, and reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha coefficients of 0.81 and 0.78 for the two main sections. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while two-way factorial ANOVA tested the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Results showed that HoDs generally demonstrated fairness and respect in their engagement practices. No significant differences were found in fairness across universities and ranks, while respect varied significantly across academic ranks, with Professors and Associate Professors demonstrating higher levels of respect than Senior Lecturers. It was recommended that universities should institutionalize fairness policies in departmental administration, strengthen leadership training, and adopt mentorship programmes where senior HoDs guide junior ones in respect-based leadership practices.